The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-01-13

LILLIAN REMyBERT !;
A YOIJNG GIRLS STRANGE EXPERIENCE.
for The WEEKLY SENTINEL by Mrs. L. E. Am Of Granville
Countv ~ c. Author of "An american Prince" Poems, Etc.
CHAPTER ".

one of those palatial Southern homes,
that in those times, and are still, noted
for their noble hospitality, as well as
their wealth of luxury and comfort,
and Mrs. Vivian, the mother of my
brave knight-errant, was fitting
queen in this princely home.
My knight had introduced himself
to me simply as {" Charles Vivan,' and
as we cantered through the gateway,
and along the broad avenue bordered
on either side with tall magnolia
trees, and hedges of cape jessamine,
whose blossoms filled the summer air
with rich and almost overpowerlng
perfume, it seemed after my long and
weary Journey like the entrance to
fairy palace and the beautiful woman
in dress of white nuns yelling, WHO
met US at the top Of the marble steps
seemed the very queen of the fairies
even @ ''Titanca herself, only this lady
was tall and stately, and as she vel
coined her son, and gave her .iewelled
hand to the young stranger girl, as he
presented me, and explained my pres
ence, she looked the loveliest person,
alton of the % mother" as well as the
kind and gentle christian lady that
she was.
My heart warmed toward her at
once, though it was too full for words
as she said,
q am glad you brought her home
with you Charlie, and of course we
will take care Of her to night
Then calling Lena" who appeared
in the person of a neat looking maid,
she directed her to "take my guest,
Miss Rembert, to the west room, and
bring ice-water, and all that she may
want to make her comfortable which
was promptly done-and thus | found
myself so strangely the welcome guest
of the Vivians.
l had scarcely been the occupant Of
the delightful and handsomely furn-
ished room tor more than ten Hlinutes
when my trunk appeared, borne upon
the broad shoulders of a staIwart
negro man. 1t was not the shiny
faced, ivory -toothed Pete though
[ now remembered hearing a hurried
order given to the aforesaid Pete, J"
in which the words "baggage, and
"hur7y up" occurred from the lips of
"Mas' Charlie" as he was called by
his sable attendants.
| soon enjoyed the luxury OF a bath,
and change of garments. Replacing
my cashmere travelling dress with a
ig ghter one of lace bunting, all of black
though, as l still wore the deepest
mourning for my dear father.
AS | stood before the tall mirror
which reached from near the ceiling to
the floor, | felt for the first time In
my life, a sense of elevation in the fact
that | vas personally attractive. My
figure was small, slight, and graceful ;
and my face though not beautiful
Gndeed [ had never been called even
pretty), but was certainly refined and
intellectual
1 had never been in the least vain
of my peTson-if there was any vanity
in me at all, it lay in the knowledge
of my mental power possession that
I had ever believed would more than
compensate for any want OF mere
beauty or regularity of feature, il
united with refinement, and a gentle
unselfish disposition. But leaving the
mirror and its reflections, / passed out
through the tersellated hall, and down
the broad staircase, at the foot OF
which my queenly hostess received me
and taking my poor little hand into
her own, led me into an elegantly
furnished drawing room, where the
soft light from shaded candelabra
revealed the richness and beauty OF
the furniture, the flowers, and the
pictures, and the exquisite statuary,-
as we'll as the two masculine figures
that stood in converse by the large
bay window-one of whom was intro.
duced as my husband, Gen. Vivian,
the other, lad of about sixteen with
a handsome boyish face and curly
head of chestnut hair, as my young
est boy, Ernest"
The elder one acknowledged tn,
introduction with grave but courte
Gus bow,-but the boy gave me hi
hand, with bright look, which wor
my heart at once, as did his beautiful
mother.
CHAPTER V.
And all this time I had not beer
asked a question. Such was tn
genuine hospitality, and inmate deli
cacy of this household-whow were to-
noble in themselves to doubt, or to fea
northumberland too kin6-hearte'
to repulse the helpless stranger, so
was taken as it were upon trust; but